Incomes are rising rapidly in the United States. According to estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau, the national median household income was nearly $75,000 in 2022, up from about $69,700 in 2021. The 7.2% increase was the largest recorded year-over-year since at least the mid-1990s.
While the typical American household is earning more than ever before, incomes have not been rising fast enough to offset inflation. Throughout 2022, the average rate of inflation hit a 40-year high of 8%, four times the Federal Reserve’s 2% target rate. Accounting for the rising cost of living, real incomes in the U.S. fell by nearly 5% between 2019 and 2022.
While no one has been spared from surging prices, Americans on the low end of the income spectrum have bore the brunt. During inflationary periods, higher-income Americans can cut back on spending and reduce the impact of rising costs. Meanwhile, lower earning Americans, who spend a larger share of their income on necessities such as food, housing, and gas, cannot.
Pennsylvania has a median household income of $73,170. But in many parts of the state, the typical household earns far less than the statewide median.
Using five-year estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2022 American Community Survey, 24/7 Wall St. identified the 35 poorest counties in Pennsylvania. Counties in the state are ranked on median household income. Population, poverty, and unemployment data are also five-year estimates from the 2022 ACS.
Among the counties on this list, median household incomes are anywhere from about $9,700 to nearly $27,000 below the statewide median. In many of these counties, levels of financial hardship are underscored by widespread poverty. In all but nine counties on this list, the share of residents living below the poverty line exceeds the 11.8% statewide poverty rate.
These are the poorest counties in Pennsylvania.
35. Lycoming County
Source: gerrydincher / Flickr
- Median household income: $63,437
- Poverty rate: 12.5%
- 5-yr. avg. unemployment rate: 5.3%
- Population: 114,022
34. Fulton County
Source: Fultoncntypait / Wikimedia Commons
- Median household income: $63,153
- Poverty rate: 10.7%
- 5-yr. avg. unemployment rate: 3.7%
- Population: 14,545
33. Sullivan County
Source: nicholas_t / Flickr
- Median household income: $62,910
- Poverty rate: 12.2%
- 5-yr. avg. unemployment rate: 5.5%
- Population: 5,880
32. Juniata County
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Median household income: $61,915
- Poverty rate: 9.0%
- 5-yr. avg. unemployment rate: 3.1%
- Population: 23,535
31. Elk County
Source: paulsta / iStock via Getty Images
- Median household income: $61,672
- Poverty rate: 9.0%
- 5-yr. avg. unemployment rate: 6.5%
- Population: 30,886
30. Huntingdon County
- Median household income: $61,300
- Poverty rate: 11.3%
- 5-yr. avg. unemployment rate: 5.1%
- Population: 44,123
29. Armstrong County
- Median household income: $61,011
- Poverty rate: 10.4%
- 5-yr. avg. unemployment rate: 5.1%
- Population: 65,538
28. Luzerne County
Source: DenisTangneyJr / iStock via Getty Images
- Median household income: $60,836
- Poverty rate: 14.9%
- 5-yr. avg. unemployment rate: 5.9%
- Population: 325,396
27. Bradford County
Source: aimintang / iStock via Getty Images
- Median household income: $60,650
- Poverty rate: 13.1%
- 5-yr. avg. unemployment rate: 4.8%
- Population: 60,159
26. Tioga County
- Median household income: $59,707
- Poverty rate: 12.2%
- 5-yr. avg. unemployment rate: 4.5%
- Population: 41,186
25. Columbia County
Source: iip-photo-archive / Flickr
- Median household income: $59,457
- Poverty rate: 15.3%
- 5-yr. avg. unemployment rate: 4.7%
- Population: 64,924
24. Erie County
Source: DenisTangneyJr / iStock via Getty Images
- Median household income: $59,396
- Poverty rate: 15.4%
- 5-yr. avg. unemployment rate: 5.5%
- Population: 270,495
23. Blair County
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Median household income: $59,386
- Poverty rate: 13.2%
- 5-yr. avg. unemployment rate: 4.2%
- Population: 122,640
22. Venango County
Source: JeffGoulden / E+ via Getty Images
- Median household income: $59,278
- Poverty rate: 13.4%
- 5-yr. avg. unemployment rate: 6.7%
- Population: 50,475
21. Wayne County
Source: Doug Kerr (Dougtone) / Wikimedia Commons
- Median household income: $59,240
- Poverty rate: 11.0%
- 5-yr. avg. unemployment rate: 5.9%
- Population: 51,227
20. Clinton County
- Median household income: $59,011
- Poverty rate: 13.1%
- 5-yr. avg. unemployment rate: 5.3%
- Population: 37,860
19. Crawford County
Source: catasmith / Flickr
- Median household income: $58,734
- Poverty rate: 12.7%
- 5-yr. avg. unemployment rate: 5.6%
- Population: 83,876
18. Clarion County
- Median household income: $58,690
- Poverty rate: 13.7%
- 5-yr. avg. unemployment rate: 5.5%
- Population: 37,489
17. Bedford County
Source: Matthew Van Dyke / iStock via Getty Images
- Median household income: $58,337
- Poverty rate: 10.8%
- 5-yr. avg. unemployment rate: 4.3%
- Population: 47,613
16. Mifflin County
Source: Delmas Lehman / iStock via Getty Images
- Median household income: $58,012
- Poverty rate: 16.7%
- 5-yr. avg. unemployment rate: 3.9%
- Population: 46,146
15. Warren County
Source: nicholas_t / Flickr
- Median household income: $57,925
- Poverty rate: 11.6%
- 5-yr. avg. unemployment rate: 4.3%
- Population: 38,492
14. McKean County
- Median household income: $57,861
- Poverty rate: 14.1%
- 5-yr. avg. unemployment rate: 5.3%
- Population: 40,459
13. Lawrence County
- Median household income: $57,585
- Poverty rate: 12.3%
- 5-yr. avg. unemployment rate: 6.8%
- Population: 85,907
12. Philadelphia County
Source: pabradyphoto / iStock via Getty Images
- Median household income: $57,537
- Poverty rate: 22.7%
- 5-yr. avg. unemployment rate: 8.6%
- Population: 1,593,208
11. Somerset County
Source: daveynin / Flickr
- Median household income: $57,357
- Poverty rate: 10.8%
- 5-yr. avg. unemployment rate: 5.2%
- Population: 73,802
10. Mercer County
Source: BOB WESTON / iStock via Getty Images
- Median household income: $57,353
- Poverty rate: 13.5%
- 5-yr. avg. unemployment rate: 5.5%
- Population: 110,600
9. Indiana County
Source: Michael Deemer / iStock via Getty Images
- Median household income: $57,170
- Poverty rate: 13.0%
- 5-yr. avg. unemployment rate: 6.5%
- Population: 83,394
8. Clearfield County
- Median household income: $56,982
- Poverty rate: 13.7%
- 5-yr. avg. unemployment rate: 6.0%
- Population: 79,707
7. Jefferson County
- Median household income: $56,607
- Poverty rate: 14.1%
- 5-yr. avg. unemployment rate: 5.4%
- Population: 44,326
6. Potter County
- Median household income: $56,491
- Poverty rate: 12.2%
- 5-yr. avg. unemployment rate: 4.8%
- Population: 16,390
5. Northumberland County
- Median household income: $55,952
- Poverty rate: 12.4%
- 5-yr. avg. unemployment rate: 4.7%
- Population: 91,340
4. Fayette County
Source: halbergman / iStock via Getty Images
- Median household income: $55,579
- Poverty rate: 16.2%
- 5-yr. avg. unemployment rate: 7.2%
- Population: 128,417
3. Cambria County
Source: csfotoimages / iStock Editorial via Getty Images
- Median household income: $54,221
- Poverty rate: 14.4%
- 5-yr. avg. unemployment rate: 4.9%
- Population: 133,263
2. Forest County
Source: zrfphoto / Getty Images
- Median household income: $46,188
- Poverty rate: 19.2%
- 5-yr. avg. unemployment rate: 4.3%
- Population: 6,959
1. Cameron County
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Median household income: $46,186
- Poverty rate: 15.0%
- 5-yr. avg. unemployment rate: 7.1%
- Population: 4,536
| Rank | County | Median household income ($) | Poverty rate (%) | 5-yr. avg. unemployment rate (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cameron, Pennsylvania | 46,186 | 15.0 | 7.1 |
| 2 | Forest, Pennsylvania | 46,188 | 19.2 | 4.3 |
| 3 | Cambria, Pennsylvania | 54,221 | 14.4 | 4.9 |
| 4 | Fayette, Pennsylvania | 55,579 | 16.2 | 7.2 |
| 5 | Northumberland, Pennsylvania | 55,952 | 12.4 | 4.7 |
| 6 | Potter, Pennsylvania | 56,491 | 12.2 | 4.8 |
| 7 | Jefferson, Pennsylvania | 56,607 | 14.1 | 5.4 |
| 8 | Clearfield, Pennsylvania | 56,982 | 13.7 | 6.0 |
| 9 | Indiana, Pennsylvania | 57,170 | 13.0 | 6.5 |
| 10 | Mercer, Pennsylvania | 57,353 | 13.5 | 5.5 |
| 11 | Somerset, Pennsylvania | 57,357 | 10.8 | 5.2 |
| 12 | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | 57,537 | 22.7 | 8.6 |
| 13 | Lawrence, Pennsylvania | 57,585 | 12.3 | 6.8 |
| 14 | McKean, Pennsylvania | 57,861 | 14.1 | 5.3 |
| 15 | Warren, Pennsylvania | 57,925 | 11.6 | 4.3 |
| 16 | Mifflin, Pennsylvania | 58,012 | 16.7 | 3.9 |
| 17 | Bedford, Pennsylvania | 58,337 | 10.8 | 4.3 |
| 18 | Clarion, Pennsylvania | 58,690 | 13.7 | 5.5 |
| 19 | Crawford, Pennsylvania | 58,734 | 12.7 | 5.6 |
| 20 | Clinton, Pennsylvania | 59,011 | 13.1 | 5.3 |
| 21 | Wayne, Pennsylvania | 59,240 | 11.0 | 5.9 |
| 22 | Venango, Pennsylvania | 59,278 | 13.4 | 6.7 |
| 23 | Blair, Pennsylvania | 59,386 | 13.2 | 4.2 |
| 24 | Erie, Pennsylvania | 59,396 | 15.4 | 5.5 |
| 25 | Columbia, Pennsylvania | 59,457 | 15.3 | 4.7 |
| 26 | Tioga, Pennsylvania | 59,707 | 12.2 | 4.5 |
| 27 | Bradford, Pennsylvania | 60,650 | 13.1 | 4.8 |
| 28 | Luzerne, Pennsylvania | 60,836 | 14.9 | 5.9 |
| 29 | Armstrong, Pennsylvania | 61,011 | 10.4 | 5.1 |
| 30 | Huntingdon, Pennsylvania | 61,300 | 11.3 | 5.1 |
| 31 | Elk, Pennsylvania | 61,672 | 9.0 | 6.5 |
| 32 | Juniata, Pennsylvania | 61,915 | 9.0 | 3.1 |
| 33 | Sullivan, Pennsylvania | 62,910 | 12.2 | 5.5 |
| 34 | Fulton, Pennsylvania | 63,153 | 10.7 | 3.7 |
| 35 | Lycoming, Pennsylvania | 63,437 | 12.5 | 5.3 |
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